Tips for Managing Change Successfully - A Simple and Workable Plan

Successful Change Management Principles


Adapted from “The psychology of change management” by Emily Lawson and Colin Price in the McKinsey Quarterly



Four conditions for changing mind-sets with large scale change:

Employees must see the point of the change and agree with it – at least enough to give it a try. They must understand the purpose behind the change. If they don’t understand the purpose, they will suffer from “cognitive dissonance” or the distressing mental state that arises when people find that their beliefs are inconsistent with their actions. People have to understand how their contribution to the change will make a difference.
The surrounding structures (reward and recognition systems, for example) must be in tune with the new behavior. Organizational structures, management and operational processes and measurement procedures – setting targets, measuring performance and granting financial and nonfinancial rewards – must be consistent with the behavior that people are asked to embrace. When a company’s goals for new behavior are not reinforced, employees are less likely to adopt it consistently.
Employees must have the skills to do what it requires. Many change programs are put in place without showing people how to adapt to their new situation. David Kolb , an adult learning specialist, described a 4 phase process for learning that can be applied to help individuals learn new skills: Basically people must reflect, experiment and apply the new principles. All this is anchored best by teaching it to others.
Employees must see people they respect modeling it actively. People model their behavior on significant others – those in positions of influence. Role models at every level must “walk the talk” and be consistent. Change must be meaningful to key groups at each level of the organization.

Each of these conditions is realized independently; together they add up to a way of changing the behavior of people in organizations by changing attitudes about what can and should happen at work.